This feature is part of Auto Remarketing’s upcoming “Beyond the Transaction” edition, which is the May print issue of the magazine. It is available for Cherokee Media Group Premium subscribers now. 

For consumers, the greatest concern when it comes to buying a car can be summed up in one word.

Affordability.

While the price of cars has dropped over the past year, they remain substantially elevated compared to before the COVID pandemic. Currently, the average price of a used vehicle is in the $25,000-$28,000 range, depending on which analyst’s data you’re looking at — well above the sub-$19,000 average of early 2020.

And with interest rates soaring to their highest point in ...